Mango Pickles (Jeruk Mangga)

Whenever my family made a trip to Penang, it's not difficult to decide what souvenir to get for our  family & friends back home. Without fail, I would buy for them fruit pickles. In fact, a visit to Penang is not complete without a visit to the Chowrasta Market area where there are several fruit-pickle shops. The last time I was there, I noticed there were more shops selling them.

Although I'm quite certain that fruit pickles don't originate from Penang,  for some reasons, which I can only guess, Penang is always associated with fruit pickles or vise versa. One reason could be because they are cheaper compared to the ones sold in other states in Malaysia or even Singapore. Another reason could be because of the quality, which I learnt recently. Just a few days ago when I was at Pasar Larkin in JB, I saw a stall selling fruit pickles, among other things. The stallholder explained that fruit pickles from Penang, compared to the ones produced in other states or Indonesia, taste better because they  do not have the unpleasant aftertaste caused by the chemical used.

I'm not a big fan of fruit pickles, so I rarely buy them. I've also never thought of making them at home until I saw Roz made some last year. I made them soon after I saw her post but didn't manage to post it here. I made them again a few days ago. These pickles don't resemble the store-bought ones but they are definitely healthier!

Mango Pickles (Jeruk Mangga)
Recipe by Roz@HomeKreation

Ingredients:
8 young mangoes
2-3 tbsp coarse salt
a pinch of lime paste*
water* (* mix)

Sugar syrup:
1½ cup sugar
2 cups water
Combine sugar & water in a pot & boil. Set aside to cool.  (You may add more sugar syrup if you like sweeter pickles.)

Method:

1. Peel & slice mangoes lengthwise.
2. Sprinkle salt on mango slices in a big bowl and mix well.
3. Place it in a container. Fill with water* until fully covered.
4. Leave for one or two days until the colour changes to slightly yellowish. Then discard water & rinse mango slices if too salty.
5. Pour sugar syrup into the container of mango slices. 
6. Store in fridge overnight to allow sugar to fully absorb into mango slices before serving.

Update: I observed that after a week, the water turned slightly murky & the pickles tasted much better. So do wait a few days before consuming them. I threw the water away once it turned murky & store the pickles in the container without the water.

I'm submitting this post to the Malaysian Food Fest, Penang Month hosted by Alan of Travellingfoodies.